Night Children
by delusionment
Summary: Ayumu has finally believed in himself and saved the Blade Children. But can he save these sadistic children called Night Children with the Blade Children and Hiyono? -hiatus-
1. The Night Children

Chapter 1: Those Night Children

It was four in the afternoon when Ayumu got home. He pulled out his key and unlocked the door. "I'm home," he shouted as he took his shoes off. When he didn't hear a response he shouted, "Madoka, are you home?" After finding a note left by her saying she would be late tonight, he went over to the fridge to pull out something to make dinner with. After setting things up, the phone rang. He picked it up and said, "Hello, Narumi residence. Ayumu speaking."

"Hey there little brother," said the voice of Kiyotaka. "How have you been?"

Ayumu wasn't able to speak at all. He hadn't heard from his brother in who knows how long. And now, out of the blue, Kiyotaka calls him up. "Hey are you still there," Kiyotaka asked.

"Is...is that really you Kiyotaka?"

"Well it's good to know that you're still alive," Kiyotaka said sarcastically. "But now isn't the time for jokes. I have to tell you something. You need to look into something for me. I need you to find out anything and everything that you can about the Night Children.

"The who? Don't you mean the Blade Children," Ayumu asked, now a little confused.

"No little brother. I mean the Night Children. Now that the Blade Children have been saved, there is one more task I must accomplish. To help the Night Children change their fate as the Blade Children have done. Their destiny is far more worse than anyone could have imagined. I need you to... uh oh. Listen I have to go now. Give Madoka my love for me ok? And tell her that I won't be coming back until I solve this new mystery. Talk to you again real soon ok?"

"No wait," Ayumu shouted to his brother. But it was to late. Kiyotaka had hung up. '_Great,_' he thought to himself. '_I finally hear from Kiyotaka and it's opened up a whole new case for me to solve. Well... at least I know he's alive._'

Ayumu hanged the phone up and picked it up again. He dialed Hiyono's number. When she finally picked up, Ayumu's message was short and to the point. "Hiyono, I need your help finding out who, or what, the Night Children are. My brother asked me to look into it."

* * *

A boy with black hair and green eyes tossed and turned in his bed. Plaguing nightmares haunted his mind.

_"Father! Don't do it! We're your children! Stop! Mother would never allow this!" a younger boy yelled to his father in the shadows. He struggled against the person holding him. Five other guards were holding five other kids the same age as him. _

_"Silence! I don't have any children! You and that other brat were the ones who stole her away from me!" the man roared. "Conduct the experiments NOW!" _

_"You're a horrible man! Horrible!" a small girl screamed. She looked like the other boy except that she had hazel eyes. _

_"You think that matters to me!" _

_The girl furiously whipped the single black chopstick from her hair. A silver blade glinted in the dim light show it was really a weapon. She stabbed continuously the guard holding her until he crumpled to the ground, dead. Her hands were stained with blood of another. _

_"What are you doing!" their "father" yelled. The girl sprinted towards her father with the bloodied knife in hand. When she reached him, she stabbed him close to the heart. Her father punched her away. "How dare you wound me!" He tore the knife from his chest and stabbed his own daughter in the shoulder. _

_"RAINE!" yelled the boy._

The boy sat up in his bed screaming. His face was drenched in sweat. He breathed hard as he ran a shaky hand through his black hair. His door opened and an older boy poked his head inside.

"Calm down Kurai. It was only a nightmare." he answered. "Was it the day..."

"Yes." Kurai answered quickly. "Raine was the first to kill a human being. And the "gene" wasn't planted in us yet. When she transfers tomorrow, how many more will she murder?"

"Raine will be fine, as well as the others." the older one replied. "Our efforts to survive may be in vain though."

"Maybe so but we have always lived off the streets like this." Kurai said.

"Killing others?"

"Protecting ourselves." he corrected. "You remember what Kiyotaka said right?"

"What? You mean that his younger brother Ayumu and the Blade Children can save us?" the older boy asked.

"Yes. Do you believe it?"

"Do you?"

"No. Our fate is unchangeable either way."

"We have to start believing. Because...because they are the only ones who can save the Night Children..."

* * *

"Everyone, we have a new student in our class." The teacher announced. Ayumu looked away from the window and stared at the girl. She was dressed in the school's uniform and shyly looked at the floor with her hazel eyes. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail with a white ribbon. "This is Raine Namikama. Please welcome her."

"Hello Raine." The whole class chanted. Ayumu said nothing. A whole lot more new kids were transferring to the Academy. He was getting a little suspicious but shook the matter off. He felt a pencil eraser poke his back. He turned around to see Mei Ichiiwa, one of Hiyono and the Blade Children's new friend. She had long brown hair and brown eyes.

"What?"

"You didn't see hello to the new girl!" she whispered.

"So? Is that a crime?" Ayumu asked.

She shrugged. "You can be so mean to others at times…" she muttered. Ayumu turned back round and stared out he window again. Mei sat back in her chair. Her eyes glinted oddly as she watched Raine walk down the isle to her new seat. 'They have no idea…'

* * *

"When are you coming home?"

"In due time."

"And that would be…"

"In a month like we planned."

"…"

"Raine?"

"What?" she asked.

"Do something about Ayumu and those Blade Children."

"Yes…brother…"

Raine snapped her cell phone closed. She overlooked the school grounds from the roof. She could see her "savior" and the Blade Children. "Let the games begin…" she muttered. A twisted smile appeared on her face.

She opened her cell again and dialed a number. When he other line picked up, she immediately said, "What's your status?"

"Impatient aren't we?" the person asked.

"I'm always impatient Mei. Now get to the point." She demanded.

"Hiyono and Ayumu left the Newspaper Room at one as usual. Kyle claimed that he spotted Ryoko, Kousuke, and Rio meeting up in the usual spot under the trees. Lain called a few minutes ago to report that they are currently having lunch." Mei reported.

"What's your lullaby?" Raine asked her fellow Night Child.

"I want to finish a report before having lunch."

Raine snorted. "A report?"

"Which is the truth. I am printing out all the Blade Children's files. I still have Hiyono's and Ayumu's to go." Mei answered.

"Work faster." Raine ordered.

"Shut up. I'd like to see you try and do this. Hiyono's system was harder to hack into than I thought."

"Whatever. Just get the job done. I want to look over their records by he time you come home." Raine demanded. She ended the call and placed her cell in her pocket. Her hand reached up to the white ribbon in her hair. She fingered it lovingly. 'Kiyotaka…is what you said really true?'

Mei was just done printing out the last of Eyes Rutherford's record when her phone began to ring softly. She answered the phone only to hear Kyle's voice. "Get out."

"Excuse me?"

"Get out." Kyle repeated.

"What for?"

"Hiyono is coming. She's coming to find you." Kyle said hastily. Mei neatly separated the Blade Children's records into piles. She then placed them onto each other, marking each one as reference. When the girl didn't answer for several minutes, Kyle finally said, "You're taking your sweet time, aren't you?"

"Only to piss you off." Mei answered with fake sweetness.

"Can you please hurry up and get out of there!" he yelled.

"Patience is a virtue Kyle Borne." Mei replied. She opened up a hollowed out book and stuck all the papers inside. Mei shoved it into her backpack.

"My patience I running thin! You know that none of the Night Children are supposed to reveal themselves to our "saviors" until we start our little game!"

Mei opened the door of the Newspaper Office and stepped out in the hall. She looked back inside to make sure it looked the same. She softly closed the door and headed for her locker. "You don't think I don't know that? I'm best friends with Raine so I know exactly what she said." The girl shot back. Before she could reach her destination, Hiyono was coming her way. "Well, I have to take me leave." She quickly snapped the phone shut before Kyle could say anything.

"Hey Mei!" Hiyono greeted brightly.

"Hi Hiyono!" The Night Child put on a fake smile.

"Well, I was going to go find you for lunch. Are you ready?" Hiyono asked.

She nodded. As her and Hiyono walked down the hall, she smirked to herself. 'They won't know what hit them…' she thought.

* * *

"Little Narumi, have you heard about the Night Children?" Rio asked. Ryoko, Kousuke, Ayumu, Hiyono, and herself were eating lunch.

"Yeah…several months ago, Kiyotaka called about them. He said he wants to help change their fate like with the Blade Children." Ayumu answered. The three Blade Children looked at each other.

"We got the same call. Only this time, we have to help you save them." Ryoko answered.

"I asked Hiyono to look into them." Ayumu hinted.

The young reporter shook his head. "I still don't have anything about them. We have no clue who they are." She replied.

"Obviously, they have a fate worse than us…" Kousuke summed up.

They all sat around silently. Hiyono stood up. "I'm going to find Mei." She said. She left the group.

"Who are they…?" Ryoko pondered out loud.

"It's not about who they are. It's about what they are." Ayumu pointed out. "We won't stress and try to find them. We'll have them come to us."

"Do you think it will work, Little Narumi?" Kousuke asked.

"Well, think about it logically. That's what you did to me the first time. But we still should keep our guard up." The boy answered.

"Hm…Night Children…They sounds like they kill in the night…" Rio predicted.

"Whatever they are, they must be highly dangerous…" Ayumu said. "What are they? Those…Night Children…"


	2. Arousing Suspiciouns

Chapter 2: Arousing Suspicions

"Mr. Namikama, your dinner is ready." Said the maid.

"Thank you." Kurai answered. "Let's go Ren." He got up from his desk and stretched.

Ren stopped typing on the computer and turned to his best friend. "Fine."

"What's the matter?" Kurai asked. Before Ren could answer, the phone began to ring. The older boy answered it.

"Hello?"

"We have a problem." A girl on the other line replied.

"Like what?" Ren knew it was Raine. He mouthed to Kurai that it was his younger sister.

"I think there's a Hunter in town." Raine said.

"How do you know?"

"Look at today's newspaper headlines." The girl ordered. Ren placed the phone down and went to retrieve the day's newspaper. Kurai placed the phone to his ear.

"Raine? What's the matter?"

"A Hunter may be in town. You want me to take care of it?" Kurai's little sister asked.

"Yes. I don't want any of you getting hurt." Kurai ordered.

"Don't worry so much Kurai. We all can take care of ourselves." Raine answered. She hung up the phone.

Kurai hung up the phone. "That girl has no manners at all if she hangs up with no warning…" he muttered. Ren came back into the room with a newspaper.

"You have to see this…" Ren answered. He showed Kurai the headline. As soon as Kurai read the big bolded letters, he was taken back by shock.

* * *

Raine walked down the light streets clutching a samurai sword. The crowds were not so packed so it was easy to navigate among the group. She was dressed in a black skirt, shirt, and boots. She was also wearing a black hoodie with the black hood over her head. She stopped in front of a tall skyscraper's entrance. Just as she was about to walk inside, Ryoko Takamachi came running out and bumped into Raine. Raine's hood fell off her head as she hit the ground on her butt.

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't see you." Ryoko replied as she stared down on one of the Night Children. She smiled and offered her hand to the other one.

Raine rudely slapped Ryoko's hand away and said meanly, "Watch where you're going next time." Her eyes were so icy and cold that it sent chills down Ryoko's spine. Raine stood up and wiped the dirt of her black skirt. Ryoko slowly turned her attention to Raine's fallen samurai sword and picked it up. The rude girl quickly snatched her sword away.

"You're Raine Namikama aren't you?" Ryoko asked.

"What's it to you?"

"Well, I heard from my friends Mei Ichiiwa and Ayumu Narumi that you're new." The track star replied. She was trying to find out who she was. There was something very suspicious about her and she didn't know what.

"That's nice. Now if you'd excuse me…" Raine said. She moved past Ryoko and into the building.

Ryoko frowned. "She is so rude…yet I can sense something suspicious around her…" A light bulb clicked on in her brain. "Oh shit!" She immediately sprinted down the street sidewalk, accidentally crashing into strangers.

Finally, she reached the house where Rio, Kousuke, and her were living in. She climbed the stairs and started banging on Kousuke's door. "Kousuke! Kousuke! Get up! Kousuke Asazuki, if you don't open this door then I'm going to beat it down!" Ryoko screamed. After several seconds, the girl was pounding the door with her fist. Just then, the door opened and Kousuke appeared in the doorway. Ryoko didn't have enough time to stop herself. Her fist was about to pound the door again when the door opened. She accidentally punched the red head onto the ground.

"Damn Ryoko! Are you that impatient for me to open the freaking door!" Kousuke yelled. He got up and glared at her.

"Sorry. But I have something very important to tell you." Ryoko breathed.

"Well, sorry. I was pretty much up when you started banging on the door!" Kousuke yelled back.

"And it takes you that long to get up!" she hissed.

"Well, it's takes a while to completely wake up and put on some decent clothes!" Kousuke shot back.

Ryoko turned around and covered her ears. She screamed and said, "I can't believe I just heard that! You pervert!" She whirled around and punched him again.

"It's the truth…" he grumbled as he regained his balance.

The door across the hall opened and Rio stepped out into the hall rubbing her eyes. "What's all the commotion…?" she asked.

"Sorry Rio. Were you sleeping?" Ryoko asked the shorter girl.

"Obviously…" the girl muttered.

"Well, gather Ayumu and the other Blade Children." Ryoko ordered. "I have something important to tell everyone."

* * *

"Hm…Raine Namikama…that name sounds familiar…" Hiyono muttered. Everyone was in the living room where Ryoko had just explained that Raine might be one the Night Children.

"Of course it sounds familiar. She's the new girl in my class." Ayumu snapped.

"No. That's not where I've heard her name before. Her last name is familiar."

"Namikama?" Eyes asked. "I've also heard of that name before as well."

"Where? There was a newspaper article mentioning the death of the powerful Haru Namikama about thirteen years ago. One of his kids was trailed for his death but he case ended up being forgotten because of lack of evidence." Eyes explained.

"Interesting…" Ayumu whispered.

"Even if Raine is a Night Child, how are we supposed to prove that?" Rio asked. "We don't even know what the name "Night Child" means!"

Hiyono began typing furiously on her laptop. "I'm trying to find out a little more than just her basic profile…" she muttered.

"I still don't understand. Even if Raine was holding a samurai sword, how does that prove she's a Night Child?" Kousuke questioned Ryoko.

"Don't you understand you idiot! She must be suspicious that a Hunter would pop out and try to kill her! That sword is there for defense!" Ryoko yelled at the redhead.

Ayumu thought for a moment. "Or maybe the sword was going to be used to hurt someone else…?" he suggested. Everyone turned to look at him.

The phone began to ring. Kanone picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"

A mysterious voice answered, "Quick wondering who the Night Children are. We will reveal ourselves when we're ready. No one can save us. We die either way." All that was left was the repeated sound of the hung up phone.

* * *

Lain appeared in the doorway. She had long silver hair and blue eyes. It was a Saturday night and everyone except Kurai and Ren were in the Namikama library. She was clutching the newspaper. Mei and Kyle were playing a quiet game of chess with occasional words to each other. Raine was sitting behind the study's desk carving something into a block of wood with a Swiss Army pocketknife.

Lain walked over to Raine and threw the newspaper in front of her. She noticed that Raine was carving a wooden mask. "Why did you do it?" Lain demanded. The headline read, "**Famous Scientist Found Dead.**"

Raine looked up at Lain and said, "He showed an interest in our kind. I did the only thing that had to be done."

"You're drawing attention to us!" the older girl yelled. "With the death of the scientist, you're just proving that there are people like us!"

"Don't worry. No one knows what we are. Not even the Blade Children and Ayumu Narumi." Raine answered. She bowed her head and hid her eyes though a sly smile played around her lips.

"And what are you planning to do?" Kyle asked. He and Mei had been watching the entire thing.

Raine let a small laugh escape her lips. "You three can take care of Kousuke, Rio, and Ryoko. Kurai and Ren say they'll be covering Kanone and Eyes. That means the "savior" is mine." She explained. She picked up the wooden mask and covered her face with it. "I have plans of my own for him."


	3. Night Fight

Chapter 3: Night Fight

"We need to warm up the Blade Children for what they're dealing with." Lain said. Mei, Kyle, and herself were in the kitchen of their house. All the Night Children except Kurai, Ren, and Raine lived in that very house. It helped decrease suspicion.

"And how do you suggest we should do that?" Mei asked.

"We should at least make it a nice message to Ayumu and the Blade Children that the Night Children are ready to do battle." Lain replied. She sat back in her stool and placed her feet up on the bar.

"How about a nice little complicated board game with plenty of traps?" Kyle questioned. He looked up at both girls with an idea sparkling in his eyes.

* * *

Ryoko, Rio, and Kousuke were walking back home from the school. They always took the same route past a dark forest. "Kousuke, you idiot! Why did you have to take so long cleaning duty!" Rio yelled. She and Ryoko were fuming because all three of them were going home late.

"You know…the both of you could have gone home without me…" the red head muttered under his breath.

"Well, sorry! It's not our fault that you asked us to wait for you!" Ryoko shouted. She punched Kousuke in the shoulder roughly.

Kousuke began muttering something under his breath. Apparently, Ryoko heard and she began to beat the poor boy up. Rio stood on the sidelines sweat dropping. All of a sudden, she heard the twinkle of a bell. She looked down at her feet to see a black cat with a bell tied around its throat. She bent down and began stroking its soft fur.

"Aw! It's so cute!" she exclaimed loudly.

Ryoko and Kousuke stopped fighting and spotted Rio and the cat. "Hey, that cat looks like the one when Eyes got that letter about the Hunters from Kanone!" Kousuke exclaimed. "Could it be the same one?"

"Can't be. Eyes said he saw the other one get hit by a car…" Rio answered. She picked up the black cat and cradled it in her arms. "You know what? I'm going to give this Kanone! After all, he's very fond of cats." The cat looked at Rio with such sweet and innocent eyes. Immediately, it jumped out of her arms and sprinted for the forest. Without hesitation, Rio tore after it. "Hey wait!"

"Rio!" Ryoko and Kousuke called out her name at the same time. They both ran after them into the forest.

"Rio, it's not worth it! Let it go!" Kousuke yelled. Finally, the shorter girl came to a stop. She bent over breathing hard.

Once Ryoko and Kousuke caught up with Rio, the girl said, "Ryoko…How…can…you run so…fast!"

The other two sweat dropped. Just then, the ground began to shake violently as steel walls rose from the dirt. When it stopped, Kousuke, Rio, and Ryoko stood there, completely petrified. "I'm happy you could fall into our trap!" a booming voice yelled through the speakers. "Nice meeting you Blade Children! Let me guess. The weird one with the glasses is Kousuke, the best track member is Ryoko, and little midget is Rio."

"I am not weird!" Kousuke yelled at the voice.

"I am not a midget!" Rio screamed.

Ryoko sweat dropped again. "What do you want? Are you one of the Night Children?" she asked.

"Why, yes I am. And the walls are just a part of a little game I want to test you on." The voice replied.

"Tell us who you are first." Kousuke ordered.

The voice gave a mock sigh. "As you wish. I am Kyle Borne and one of the few Night Children." Kyle answered. "Now do you want to play the game or not?"

"Forget it!" Rio yelled.

"Oh really? I think you might want to play since it is the only way of getting out…and saving a very important person." Kyle explained. He moved the microphone to a girl.

"Kousuke! Ryoko! Rio! Please help me!" the girl screamed.

"Mei!"

Kyle moved the microphone back to his mouth. "Now I know you don't want your friend to get hurt. So play the game and take your chances. You win then I let you go and hand back your stupid little friend. You lose then you risk the chance of staying in here forever and dying. So what will it be?" Kyle replied. His deep voice sounded so cold and serious.

The three of them looked at each other and shrugged. "Fine. Tell us what we have to do." Rio answered with defeat.

"Sweet. The game is very simple. It's a maze and you just have to find your way to the end. I am at the end of the maze with Mei. Defeat me and I'll grant you your freedom." Kyle explained. "You may begin." The three of them began to take the path to the right. Just when Kousuke stepped on one of the squares, a bomb exploded from underneath the tile. The girls screamed as they hastily pulled the red head away.

"Oh right! I must have forgotten to tell you. This maze contains plenty of traps. Each one more deadly than the other. Some are strong enough to _kill_ you. Wouldn't that be sad?" Kyle laughed in the speakers.

"I should have expected this from a lunatic like you!" Kousuke yelled through gritted teeth.

Someone punched Kyle and took the microphone away from him. It was a girl. "Shut up and continue on through the maze. I'm getting impatient." The girl ordered fiercely. "I'm Lain Jurai, another one of the Night Children. And if you don't go deeper in this elusive labyrinth, then I will detonate every single tile on the ground. I have the controls and don't think I'm not serious."

Kyle groaned. "What the hell was the punch for Lain!"

Lain ignored him. "Also, new rule. You have a time limit of two hours. Use it wisely." She explained. The speaker turned off.

The same thought was going through the Blade Children's heads…_What kind of an insane game is this!_

* * *

Eyes lifted his pen and began writing notes on the music sheet. Kanone quietly stared outside into the bright city. "Rio, Ryoko, and Kousuke were supposed to call us an hour ago. What do you think happened to them?" Kanone asked. He turned away from the window and to his half brother.

"Perhaps they forgot." Eyes suggested.

"Not likely."

There was a knock at the door. Kanone walked over to it an opened it to reveal a postman. "Hello. I have a packaged delivery for a Kanone Hilbert and Eyes Rutherford." He replied. The man was wearing the typical uniform and a hat pulled over his eyes. He had unusually black hair that reflected blue in the light.

"I'm Kanone Hilbert. I'll sign for it." Kanone answered. He took the pen and signed the form without even looking it over. The postman handed over a big brown package that was tightly wrapped. On top of it was a bouquet of black roses.

"Thank have a good evening." The man said. His eyes flashed mysteriously for a second before he turned his back and walked down the hall.

Kanone closed the door and stared at the package. "What the hell could this be?" he wondered out loud.

"And why would it be delivered at this hour?" Eyes added. He glanced at the black roses. "And why would you want to give someone roses like that?"

Kanone placed the roses on a table and brought his ear up to the box and listened inside. There was a very soft ticking sound like a clock was inside. Kanone's eyes grew wide with horror. He immediately threw the brown package at the window. "Eyes! Get down!" Kanone yelled. Eyes and Kanone ducked on the floor as the glass shattered as the package blew up in the air. It was a bomb.

Eyes lifted his head as he heard people on the streets screaming. He could see some remains of the bomb in the air. "It was a bomb…" he muttered.

"Are you alright Eyes?" the older one asked. The pianist nodded his head. Kanone picked up the bouquet of black roses and found a note inside it.

_Dear Mr. Rutherford and Mr. Hilbert,_

_I hope you enjoy the package and the roses. I'm sure they will be dynamic. As for the roses…you know very well from Kiyotaka that death is our only destiny. Time is running out._

_Night Children_

* * *

Ren's eyes traveled up to the sky where the bomb had exploded. He smirked knowing Kurai would be pleased with the results of the threat. He dialed Kurai's number on his cell. When the other line picked up, Ren said, "It exploded."

"Where?"

"Just outside of the room. Kanone threw it out the window and it exploded in the air." Ren explained. "Is this what you wanted?"

"They're more keen than I thought. Excellent. Maybe they do have the potential to figure us out…" Kurai summed up. "It's all falling according to plan just like we thought."

"Just hope that Kyle, Lain, and Mei will follow through."

"My legs are tired!" Rio whined. "We've been jumping over tiles to avoid bombs, running past swinging blades, and getting past tanks and moving machines! Not to mention walking around in this never ending maze!"

"Will you shut up!" Kousuke yelled. "You have been bitching about this for the past twenty minutes! Show a little effort and help us get out of here faster!"

Ryoko sighed and kicked Kousuke in the shins. While he was yelping in pain, she said, "Rio, what the moron is trying to say is that it wasn't our fault that we got dragged into this insane game."

Rio glared at Kousuke and then shoved him onto the next tile. There was a hidden bomb there so once his foot touched the sensor…the bomb exploded. Ryoko screamed as Rio covered her face with her hands. Smoke lingered heavily in the air making it hard to see. The speakers turned on again and doubled laughter could be heard. "That was wonderful! You saved us the trouble of having to kill that moron ourselves!" Kyle screamed. Lain and Kyle were still laughing when the speakers shut off again.

The smoke cleared up and it showed Kousuke sitting on the next tile. He was covered with ashes and he wore the look of pure anger. "What the hell was that for you brat! You almost got me killed!" he shouted. Rio childishly stuck out her tongue.

Rio jumped over the steaming tile and walked on. Ryoko and then Kousuke followed. The track member ignored Kousuke's fuming manner and stared straight ahead of her. Little did she know another trap was in front of her. She stepped on the surface of another tile activating it. A net appeared below her and engulfed her. She screamed as loud as she could and the net was lifted out of sight.

"RYOKO!" Kousuke screamed. He began sprinting down the maze's long corridor with Rio right behind him. They quickly turned the corner and found themselves in one long passageway. Not caring what was ahead, both Rio and Kousuke ran down it. They ran down it not caring they had just set off another trap. Little holes opened at the side and poisonous darts shot out from both sides. The two Blade Children skillfully dodged them without trouble. Saving Mei and Ryoko was their only priority. Getting out of the maze was their next.

A light appeared and soon it showed it was the end of the maze. There was a giant monument there. It was a statue of a maiden and around her neck was a black crescent moon necklace. Lain was sitting on the statue's shoulder while Kyle stood on the maiden's open hand. Two hostages were kneeling in front of him: Ryoko and Mei.

"So glad you could finally join us!" Lain proclaimed. She grinned sadistically.

"Now what do we have to do to earn our freedom and our friends?" Rio asked. She was very serious now.

"You have to activate this maiden statue's pendant. Then you'll be free to go." Kyle explained. He smirked. "Of course, you need three people to do it. Choose either Ryoko or Mei. Which one you don't pick will immediately die at our hands."

"We choose Ryoko." The two Blade Children answered at the same time. Mei was their friend but Ryoko was like family.

Mei's eyes sparkled with defiance. She did a back flip to her feet. She spun around and pulled out a gun and held it to Ryoko's head. "I don't think so." She replied coldly. "You make a single move and I'll blow a fatal bullet through Ryoko's head. The track star said nothing nor did she sow any emotion.

"Mei!" Kousuke yelled with disbelief. "Are you one of the Night Children as well!"

"Of course. I've been spying on all the Blade Children and Ayumu and that reporter girl for such a long time. You gave up pretty good information to me." Mei answered. There was an evil smile upon her face. "I know what I want and just how to get it. Hiyono's information network was just as useful."

"You used us!" Kousuke yelled.

"Naturally. I always get what I want."

"Shut up Mei and let's just get this over with." Kyle ordered.

"Fine."

Before anyone else could react, Rio pulled out a bomb from her pocket and threw it at the three Night Children. Ryoko pushed herself down and kicked Kyle and Mei's legs causing them to fall. Mei's gun flew out of her hand. Ryoko quickly jumped off to join her friends. The bomb exploded when it came in contact with Lain. There was a huge explosion and smoke filled the air.

"How did you get the bomb, Rio?" Kousuke asked.

"I pried a tile off that contained a hidden bomb. I disarmed it just in case we would need it." Rio explained. The smoke finally cleared up but none of the Night Children were harmed. Instead, they were standing on top of the maze's wall.

"Do you think you can actually think you could defeat the Night Children that easily? We are so much more than what you could ever imagine." Lain laughed. She and Mei pulled out two very sharp blades. Kyle had a gun in his hands.

Kyle jumped down onto the open hand of the maiden statue and quickly jumped off. He pointed the gun at Kousuke. He was about to pull the trigger when Kousuke quickly grabbed the gun and rammed his shoulder into Kyle. The Night Child didn't flinch but his finger curled around the trigger and began to fire bullets Kousuke remained a safe distance while him and Kyle fought over the weapon.

"Kousuke!" Ryoko cried. Rio and her dodged the stray bullets. They ran towards the maiden statue. When they neared it, Mei and Lain jumped off the maze wall at the same time. Moving in synchronization movement, they landed smoothly on the hard ground. They both straightened up and rushed at Rio and Ryoko. They swung the blades at the same time at both Rio and Ryoko. They sidestepped and ran for the statue. They got on opposite sides ready to activate the pendant. "Kousuke!" Ryoko yelled again.

Kousuke finally jerked the gun from Kyle's grip and kicked him away. He pulled the trigger at him but the round was empty. Instead, he took the gun and smacked Kyle across the cheek with it. Kousuke dropped the gun and went to join the other girls. He stood in front of the maiden statue. A triangle light surrounded them and a gold light began to shower down on them. The necklace around the statue's neck glowed brightly as a small passage way opened up. The Blade Children hurriedly crawled inside and disappeared out of the maze. They were finally free.

* * *

"What should we do, Lain?" Kyle asked. "Should we go after them?"

"No. Let them go." She answered. "We can fight another day."

* * *

The three Blade Children sprinted as far away from the forest as fast as they could. They finally reached the shops and boutiques out of breath.

"That is the last time I'm ever going to run so fast!" Rio whined.

"Then you'll fail Gym if you do." Kousuke joked as he breathed heavily. Rio punch the red head's arm.

"Idiot."


	4. Disfiguring Pasts

Chapter 4: Disfiguring Pasts

"That makes the four of them." Ayumu replied as he peered over Hiyono's shoulder. Hiyono was over for dinner and he had just finished washing the dishes. Madoka was going to be home late again. Several minutes ago, Ryoko had called them and told them about the fight between the Night Children and themselves.

"I'm doing searches on Raine Namikama, Mei Ichiiwa, Kyle Borne, and Lain Jurai." Hiyono said.

"They can't be alone though. Four Night Children doesn't seem the right number of how any there should be. They must be getting help from the outside or from several other Night Children." Ayumu suggested. He began pacing up and down the living room.

"Well, perhaps Kurai Namikama is one of them."

"What?" He looked at Hiyono.

"I just looked up Raine's basic profile. Her parents are deceased and she lives with her older brother Kurai. But, Raine is often left alone because her brother is the heir to the Namikama business and is away a lot." Hiyono explained.

"What happened to their parents?"

"Well, their mother Ayame died from the birth of Raine. Their father Haru died from a fatal stab wound close to the heart. This happened about 13 years ago." The reported replied.

"Is there anything else important to know about Raine?" Ayumu asked.

"Well, she has an expert skill with sharp blades especially with swords."

"What about the others?"

"Lain and Mei have no family. All dead and it's been wiped from their record. Kyle is the son of an American businessman and a Japanese woman. His father wanted nothing to do with him so he abandoned his wife and only son on the street. His mother died from hunger a month later."

"Apparently, they all have suffered the loss of their parents at a young age." Ayumu said out loud.

"And about their records…" Hiyono began. Kiyotaka's little brother abruptly stopped and turned to look at her. "All the Night Children's records have been erased completely. And there is no result of that court case Eyes had mentioned either." She answered. "Only their basic profiles remain."

"It's like they wanted no one to find out about them!" Ayumu yelled.

"One of them must be skilled at hacking to completely eradicate each flaw that could be used against them. They must be even more skilled than me." A silence fell between them before Hiyono looked up at Ayumu. "Hey Ayumu? Ever since Kiyotaka called again, what did Madoka think about it?"

"She was shocked. She just started crying because she was happy that he was still alive at the very least." Ayumu explained. "But at the sound of the Night Children, she was thinking a whole lot worse than what the Blade Children have done. She's been investigating that recent murder of the famous scientist and where Kiyotaka could be right now."

* * *

"Any luck on the recent investigations, Wataya?" Madoka asked. She looked across the room at her partner.

"No. This time, your brother-in-law wasn't involved, which is shocking. And we only have one lead so far." Wataya reported.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"The last person the man saw was a sixteen year old girl. The receptionist said that she was about five feet with black hair and hazel eyes." Madoka turned to her computer and began typing something in.

"At least we have a lead. I want a search of all the girls here in the city and narrow down the list of suspected people." The woman ordered.

"Yes, Inspector."

'Could those Night Children be involved with this? It's like they would kill without a moment's hesitation…What are you getting into again, Kiyotaka?'

* * *

"This is bad…" Kyle mused. Raine, Lain, Mei, and Kyle were at school and talking quietly at a corner. Mei and Raine were leaning against the wall as Kyle and Mei stood by them. "Was it a mistake to reveal ourselves so fast?"

"What do we have to lose? No one can find anything about our past. We deleted it so no one could trace us. There is a small flaw though." Raine replied.

"If we are seen at the scene of a murder we committed, then we could be found out through our basic profile." Lain answered. She crossed her arms. "You know we can't risk that."

"But we can't just destroy that though. We must have proof that we exist at least. And besides, I am the little sister of a heir to the Namikama business. I must have mine." Raine added.

"I say that we change our appearance. We dye our hair or something." Kyle replied. Lain hit him.

"Don't even think of that. I would like to keep my natural silver hair thank you very much." She snarled.

"Shut up. The three of you are already known as Night Children to the Ayumu brat and the Blade Children. Ryoko was able to figure out that I am one as well. That only leaves two people hidden. They won't be entirely involved until they get back." Raine explained.

"Why can't you say their names?" Mei asked.

"Because Mei," The younger Namikama answered, "people are listening at every corner." She whipped out a small knife and threw it to the right. It hit the wall but a shadow moved away quickly.

"And what about this current situation?" Kyle asked.

Raine made way to walk away. Before she did, she said, "We're leaving the campus for now. We'll be home schooling ourselves at the mansion again until further notice. This is a chance a we cannot take just as long as the Blade Children and Ayumu hang around."

* * *

Rio ran up the steps of the school to the Newspaper Room. She opened the door to find that Ayumu and Hiyono were doing research on the computer. Perfect. "Ayumu! Hiyono!"

They turned around to find the smallest Blade Child there. "Oh hello Rio. What do you need?" Hiyono asked. She smiled brightly.

"I found out some things about those Night Children." She said. "The four of them will no longer be attending. They say that they want to home school themselves."

"I am guessing that they are doing that because they don't want to danger themselves even more with our presence." Ayumu deducted.

"And there are only six Night Children in total." Rio added.

"What?"

"Raine said something about two more Night Children whose identities have not been revealed yet." She explained.

"I'm betting you that one of them is Kurai Namikama!" Hiyono exclaimed.

"Don't jump to conclusions, stupid girl…" Ayumu muttered.

"You're mean!"

"That's beside the point." Ayumu said. He looked back at Rio. "What else did you get from their conversation?"

"They purposely destroyed the records of their pasts so no one could easily track them down. But their basic profile is still in tact. Lain said that if they are spotted at a murder they carried out, then they could be tracked down by their appearance." Rio explained.

"Basic profile, huh? It won't be long before Madoka finds out that Raine was the one that murdered that scientist." Ayumu said.

"Why do you say that?" Hiyono asked.

"Madoka is currently on the case of the murder. I've been snooping around in her computer to find out more. Only that she had left herself a note saying, 'Short girl of five feet, dark hair, and hazel eyes.'"

"Raine Namikama." Rio and Hiyono said together.

"Right. And if you're going to murder someone, it's either out of jealously, anger, or to silence them permanently." Ayumu deducted. "The highest possibility is to silence him. He must have known something about the Night Children that Raine didn't want him to know…but what?"

* * *

"How does it look?" Raine asked, looking into the mirror inside the bathroom. She surveyed her new red streaks in her black hair. Mei came up next to her.

"It's fine. No one will know the difference considering that we're not even attending Tsukiomi Academy anymore." She answered. "Now are you ready for the last part?" Raine nodded. Mei handed her friend a small contact case. Raine opened it and placed a contact in each eye. She blinked several times, letting it work its magic.

"Give me the garnet eye drops." She ordered. Mei searched in a large case, filled with large bottles of colored eye drops. She handed Raine the garnet color. Raine tilted her head back and squeezed out a drop in each eye. She stared into the mirror as her eye color changed to a garnet color. Her natural hazel eyes were nowhere to be seen.

"Are you done yet?" Kyle asked inside Raine's room.

The younger Namikama sighed. "Yes…" She came out of her bathroom and faced Kyle, who was sitting on her bed. "Let's just get this over with, shall we? We could be caught any minute."

"Say cheese." Kyle said as he snapped a picture of Raine with her new hair and eyes. He checked to make sure that it was a good one and suitable to replace. Kyle handed the camera to Mei, who hooked it up to her laptop.

Mei quickly deleted the old picture of Raine and replaced it with the new one. She hacked further into the data, making the necessary changes. "We're done." She replied.

Raine smirked. She grabbed her coat and the wooden mask from her desk. She began walking out of the door when Kyle called back, "Where are you going?"

"I'm off to play a game with the Narumi brat!" she yelled back.


End file.
